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What Had Happened Was: 5/27/16

May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after being called for an offensive foul against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

GAME. BLOUSES.

Real talk — can we just lace ’em up and play another one of these Friday night? Come on.

So here’s the thing about Thursday night’s game: The Golden State Warriors looked Warrior-esque, whipping the ball around, dropping long 3-pointers on folks and flexing — hell, the word “fun” was said eight times in the team’s postgame comments, as our man J.A. Adande pointed out — but the Oklahoma City Thunder were still very much in it. Playing on the road with the Warriors’ bit pieces looking extra shiny — Andrew Bogut had 15 points and 14 boards for crying out loud — the Thunder were down six with just under four minutes left and were shooting to make it a one-possession game with 40 seconds left.

This coming on a night Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 71 points but required 59 shots to get them. Durant is forever calling the NBA a “make-or-miss league” and Thursday night was just that. The Thunder missed, but they, uh, might not when they’re back home Saturday night for Game 6 and they know it. This unwavering confidence even appeared in the postgame presser when a reporter asked Durant about Curry’s defensive abilities and Westbrook was sitting next to him:

Durant asked if Stephen Curry is underrated as a defender. Russell Westbrook couldn't contain himself, and started laughing.

NINETEEN AND ON THE SCENE

One of the Los Angeles Dodgers most talked-about prospects will make his MLB debut tonight: Julio Urias. If you’re unfamiliar with the man’s work, you won’t be for much longer. Urias is 19 years old (!) and the pride of Mexico. ESPN baseball analyst Keith Law had him as the top minor league prospect in all of MLB at the start of this season.

Perhaps the craziest part of Urias’ journey: The Dodgers only happened upon him by accident. A few years back, the team’s scouts were in Mexico City to witness the workouts of a man named Yasiel Puig. They decided to hit up a game being played two hours south. That’s where they saw a left-handed pitcher hitting 92 MPH — 15-year-old Julio Urias.

#ICYMI

Not many people would have kept chugging away at progress if a Klansman set a cross on fire in their front yard — mere feet away from where their wife and three children slept. But C.M. Newton isn’t just anybody, as contributor Andrew Maraniss wrote. It took thick skin, commitment and trust on the part of the students he recruited to integrate the Southeastern Conference.

At every stop of his career, he made unprecedented and controversial moves related to race, recruiting the first black players at Alabama, fielding the Southeastern Conference’s first all-black starting lineup, hiring the first black coach at Kentucky, and initiating the long-overdue reconciliation between a black athletic pioneer and the university community at Vanderbilt.

PICTURE PERFECT

Ryan Cortes is a staff writer for The Undefeated. Lemon pepper his wings.

Rhiannon Walker is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a drinker of Sassy Cow Creamery chocolate milk, an owner of an extensive Disney VHS collection, and she might have a heart attack if Frank Ocean doesn't drop his second album.

Kofie Yeboah asks for Sweet Tea at every restaurant and recites approximately 2.5 Spongebob lines per hour.